1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to fabrication of stoppers, such as those, for example, that may be used to seal a wine bottle, and in particular to (i) processes of using residue from cork transformation in connection with fabrication of stoppers by mixing cork powder with ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) and/or rubber and/or resin, an expander and a cross-linking agent; and (ii) products resulting from such fabrication processes.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is commonly known and mainly by those used to the technique, cork is a rugous bark extracted from the popularly tree known as “Cork Tree,” made up of small air-containing cells and covered by layers of cellulous tissue, wax and suberins, revealing itself as a light material that does not decompose due to liquids or gases. Cork is resistant to fire and is thermally and acoustically insulated, along with a series of other proprieties that make it useful in the context of many different applications.
At present, residue from cork transformation, e.g., cork powder resulting from polishing of cork stoppers with sandpaper, are often burned, discarded or otherwise randomly disposed in the environment contributing to environmental disorder.